The Glamourous Life
by Holz9364
Summary: Jane leaves to find Red John and he follows Lisbons new glamourous life via news stories. Post "Red Hot".


**The Glamourous Life**

_**A/N - Inspired by the song "Cardboard Castles" by Diana Degarmo. Set after the season 3 episode "Red Hot" so spoilers up to there, and AU from there.**_

_**Enjoy! Xxx**_

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I had been gone for almost 8 months when I realised things had changed. I hadn't been a hermit; I'd been travelling, staying in cheap motels, following up leads, occasionally breaking into the local police station.

It had been 8 months before I found a decent hotel, I was in Nevada, following up a lead there and a particularly nice looking hotel caught my eye so I decided to book myself in there for the night and head back to the small-town that was a possible hometown for Red John nearby.

That night, I came out of the shower and put the news on, deciding to catch up on the happenings of the World. I read local newspapers sometimes as I passed through places but I hadn't watched the national news in a very long time.

They went through the boring stuff, a case gone to court to do with custody of children, the divorce rates increasing with the recession worsening, pupils getting better grades due to new teaching techniques, boring, boring, boring. I was actually going to turn it off when the newsreader got my attention, "And now to our media correspondent who is with Billionaire Walter Mashburn in New York right now."

Hearing the name Mashburn made me pause my finger in mid air as it hovered over the 'off' button on the remote. The last time I'd seen Mashburn he had been wishing me luck on my ventures to find Red John with his arm around Lisbons shoulder.

The thought made me feel slightly sick, it had been hard, when Lisbon started dating him, and after 2 months I decided I would work better pursuing leads on my own, and here I am, doing just that.

"Good Evening Mr Mashburn."

"Oh, call me Walter please." Mashburn said with that charming grin of his to the female news correspondent.

The girl smiled too, "Walter, here we are again, discussing yet another engagement. What makes this one different?"

My heart almost stopped and I stared at the TV in horror and shock as Mashburn grinned like an idiot, "Teresa is different to my previous wives, she's not fake and dating me for my money, she is actually in love with me and loves me for who I am, which is why I love her."

"And do you have a date for the Wedding?"

"Not yet, we're thinking August time." Mashburn replied.

"Wow, 3 months away?"

"Why wait when you are in love?" Mashburn asked cheekily.

"And is she the one this time?"

"I'm pretty sure she is." Mashburn answered, and as much as I didn't want too, I had to admit, he seemed genuine.

There were pictures on the screen now as the news correspondent spoke, "Walter Mashburn and his new fiancée Teresa have only been dating for 10 months and are already planning a Wedding in 3 months." The pictures were of Lisbon and Mashburn at events, Lisbon wearing grins and fancy dresses, he had been right, glamour had been good for her, but it wasn't empty glamour.

"Walter, tell us, how did you and Teresa meet?" The news correspondent asked, as the pictures went away and the video came back on.

Before he could answer a very familiar female voice answered for him, and I felt my heart melt a little, hearing her voice again, "That is a very interesting story."

The camera moved so that it swung onto Lisbon and it took my breath away. She looked beautiful, she wasn't wearing casual work clothes, she was wearing a long, floaty, flowery maxi dress and had her hair loose and the slightest touch of make-up with red lipstick looking amazing next to her pale skin and dark hair.

"Walter was a suspect in a murder case." Lisbon elaborated, as she smirked at Mashburn.

"And you, used to be a police officer Teresa? Or should I say Mrs Mashburn?" The annoying woman asked.

Lisbon laughed, "I was a police officer yes, and Walter tried and tried to ask me out but I kept saying no which he hated because it was usually so easy for him to get any girl he wanted."

"But in the end, she gave in." Walter conceded, "And look where we are now."

Lisbon grinned at him, "And you weren't the murderer."

"And that." He added, causing the correspondent to laugh.

She turned to the camera, "Well there you have it folks, true love for Mr Walter Mashburn at last! Now back to the studio for the weather with Sarah." She smiled brightly and the news focused once more on the studio.

I stood there for a long time, not listening or seeing. Just shocked and eventually I found the button and turned the TV off.

I found Red John the next day, in his hometown, and I killed him and left. I snuck out of America and made my way to Sweden. I met a woman in Sweden, a beautiful woman, and I married her.

I watched the news the day the Wedding clips and pictures were leaked of the Billionaires wedding to the love of his life. I watched the news the day that they announced the happy news, in the middle of talking about his new business, "My lovely wife Teresa by the way, she's having a baby!" I watched the news the day they came into the studio, with the little boy, dark hair and green eyes, told the World his name for the first time, Xavier Patrick Mashburn. I watched the news the day they announced their 10 year Wedding anniversary. I watched the news the day they were murdered, in their own house by a business rival, leaving their son orphaned at the age of 13.

After I caught the news by accident that day I never saw Teresa Lisbon again, not in person, I didn't feel her again, she was lost to me forever.

For a life that wasn't hers. For a life full of glamour and happiness, for the lives we solved crimes of, the rich who were murdered, she left solving those crimes to become the victim in one.

And it was all my fault, in the end that was what it came down too, I'd set her up with Mashburn. I'd ended her life.

It was just another thing to add to my endless list of regrets and failures in life. A list that didn't get any shorter after killing Red John, if anything it only got longer.

It's a pity you have to learn the lesson after you've made the biggest irreversible mistakes of your life.

_**The End.**_

_**Sad guys. Sorry! I just felt like writing this, not entirely sure why but there ya go!**_

_**Thanks for reading! xxx**_


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